永恒的美德 Walk Clean around the Hill

达里尔·F.柴纳克/Darryl F.Zanuck

Now that I can look back across the years from the so-called vantage point of experience in two World Wars, travel throughout a large part of the world, and contact with many of the outstanding personalities of our time, it gives me a great deal of real reassurance each day to know that way down deep I learned some fundamental values when I was a boy in a small town in Nebraska.

I have found one thing to be so very true—the virtues I learned as a boy are still fundamental virtues. My point of view has changed, of course, over the years, and so has that of my friends, but so much of all this change of viewpoint is like a small boy gazing at a hill on the plains of Nebraska. The hill remains the same. The small boy only sees it from another angle as he grows up.

I have always tried to walk completely around every hill I have found in existence since, so that I could get a view from every angle. This, I think, reveals the difference between honesty and cynicism. When you see the hill from every angle, you have a much better chance at keeping life in focus. When you only see it from one angle you run the very great danger of becoming cynical.

Two of the fundamental virtues that have been such a great comfort to me in my life, from the days of my boyhood in Wahoo, Nebraska, until now are loyalty and charity. There are other fundamentals I learned as a boy, but principally loyalty and charity.

Loyalty is not only just a term—it has been a way of life for me. I mean not only loyalty to my friends and family, but to the honest values on which our country was founded. And to me, this guidepost of loyalty of necessity means loyalty to one's own self.

When I was growing up, I rebelled against so many things, and fought against so many of the basic ideas of life—but I found after so much rebellion and walking completely around that hill on the Nebraska plains, in my mind's eye, that these virtues had not been tested over the centuries in vain.

Charity is another rule that has been of great comfort to me in so many trying situations. Charity is something you must learn. I have been very lucky in life because I have been in a position to give charity, and one should never expect any other reward from charity than the satisfaction it gives.

In taking part in any charity you must give from your heart. Any other type of giving is a terrible cheat on life itself.

Charity and loyalty are two things that have touched my life very deeply. They have been a source of tremendous satisfaction to me every day I have lived. This rule of loyalty has caused me to check back on the course of my activities at the close of each day, to be sure I haven't knowingly hurt anyone in my day's activities.

I have tried to repair any hurts I have caused before the day's end. This undoubtedly is very selfsh of me because I have learned that this rechecking of each day gives me a good night's sleep.

In walking around the hill on the plain each day of my life, the virtues I see—whether I am in London, Paris, Rome, Cairo, New York, Hollywood or Wahoo, Nebraska-are always the same.

I am grateful for those old-fashioned virtues that I learned as a boy in Nebraska. And I hope I will have enough humility always to be thankful I was born in a country that give me this chance at life.

我经历了两次世界大战，环游了世界的大部分地方，接触过很多当代的名人。如今，回想起这些丰富的阅历，我深感欣慰，因为它们肯定了我儿时在内布拉斯加州一个小镇上学到的那些基本价值观。

我发现有一点极为正确——儿时学到的很多美德在今天依然重要。岁月流逝，我和朋友们的想法与观点自然都有所变化，然而这不过是个人看待事物的方式改变了。就好比一个小男孩站在内布拉斯加平原上看山，山没有变，只是随着男孩的长大，他看山的角度发生了变化。

从此，为了从不同的角度看山，我总会试着围绕发现的每一座山走上一整圈。我认为，这就是诚实正直之人与愤世嫉俗者之间的区别。从不同角度看待事物，你就能更轻松地抓住生活的精髓；而当你仅从一个角度片面地观察世界时，就很可能会变得愤世嫉俗。

从我在内布拉斯加州瓦胡镇的童年时代起，直到今天，忠诚与仁爱这两种最基本的美德始终为我的生活带来莫大的慰藉。孩提时，我还学到了其他一些基本准则，但最重要的还是这两条。

在我看来，忠诚不只是一个简单的词，而是一种生活方式。我所指的并不只是忠于家庭与朋友，还要忠于我们建国的基础，即诚实正直的价值观。我认为，忠诚这一必需的原则也意味着对我们内在自我的忠诚。

成长过程中，我曾几度叛逆，与生活中的很多基本观念背道而驰。但是，多次叛逆后，我想象着自己围绕内布拉斯加平原的那座山走了整整一圈，终于明白这些美德的确经得起时间的考验。

在逆境中给予我莫大安慰的另一个原则是仁爱。这是我们必须学习的美德。生活中的我很幸运，因为我能够乐善好施。行善者不应祈求回报，因为我们从行善中所得到的满足感便是最好的报答。

行善，必须真心诚意。否则，任何形式的给予皆是对生命本身极大的欺骗。

仁爱与忠诚深深感动着我的生命，为我生活的每一天带来极大的满足。每天临睡前，忠诚这一原则都会提醒我反省自己一天的行为，确保当日的所作所为没有为他人带来任何故意的伤害。

每天临睡前，我都会努力为自己对他人造成的伤害予以弥补。这无疑是种自私的行为，因为只有这样，每夜我才不会辗转难眠。

横看成岭侧成峰，人生亦是如此。无论是在伦敦、巴黎、罗马、开罗、纽约、好莱坞还是内布拉斯加的瓦胡镇，我所看到的美德始终不变。

感谢儿时在内布拉斯加学到的那些传统美德。我希望，我能永远对我所出生的这个国家满怀谦恭，心存感激，因为它给予了我生存的机会。

心灵小语

有一点我是知道的：在你们之中，只有那些愿意寻求发现如何为别人服务的人，才是真正幸福的。

——施韦策

W词汇笔记

vantage['vɑ：ntidʒ]n.优势；有利情况

例 On account of his more elevated position, the general had the enemy at vantage.

因为处于较高的位置，那位将军占据上风。

outstanding[aut'stændiŋ]adj.突出的；显著的

例 He has many outstanding gifts.

他多才多艺。

fundamental[,fʌndə'mentl]adj.基本的；根本的

例 We should pay our attention to the fundamental question.

我们应把注意力集中在这个基本问题上。

virtue['və：tju：]n.美德；优点；贞操

例 Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.

勇气是一架梯子，其他美德全靠它爬上去。

S小试身手

从不同角度看待事物，你就能更轻松地抓住生活的精髓。

译____________________________

在我看来，忠诚不只是一个简单的词，而是一种生活方式。

译____________________________

我认为，忠诚这一必需的原则也意味着对我们内在自我的忠诚。

译____________________________

P短语家族

……contact with many of the outstanding personalities of our time……

contact with：与……接触

造____________________________

I have always tried to walk completely around every hill……

try to do：努力做某事

造____________________________